మైత్రీం భజత, అఖిల హృత్ జైత్రీం | - శ్రీ సుబ్బులక్ష్మి

మైత్రీం భజత

రాగం: యమునా కల్యాణి

mEcakalyaaNi janya
Aa: S R2 G3 P M2 P D2 S
Av: S D2 P M2 P G3 R2 S
 

kaapi

kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P N3 S
Av: S N2 D2 N2 P M1 G2 R2 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: H.H. CandrasEkhara Saraswati
Language: Sanskrit

మైత్రీం భజత, అఖిల హృత్ జైత్రీం |
ఆత్మవదేవ పరాన్నపి పశ్యత |
యుద్ధం త్యజత, స్ఫర్ధాం త్యజత |
త్యజత పరేషు అక్రమఆక్రమణం ||


జననీ పృథివీ కామదుహాస్తే |
జనకో దేవః సకల దయాళుః |
'దామ్యత, దత్త, దయధ్వం' జనతా |
శ్రేయో భూయాత్ సకల జనానాం ||
శ్రేయో భూయాత్ సకల జనానాం ||
శ్రేయో భూయాత్ సకల జనానాం ||

Meaning:

Maithreem Bhajatha Akila Hrijjaytreem  

Cultivate Friendship which will conquer all hearts  

Athmava Deva Paranapi Paschyata  

Look upon others as you do yourself  

Yudham Thyajatha Spardhaam Thyajatha  

Renounce wars Renounce competition  

Thyajatha Pareshvakramam Aakramanam (Maithreem)  

Give up wrongful aggression on others
Janani Prithivi Kamaduhaasthe  

Our Mother Earth is ready to fulfill all our desires  

Janako Devaha Sakaladayaluhu  

We have the Lord, our Father, who is compassionate to all  

Daamyatha Dattha Dayadhvam Janathaha  

O, people of the world, be disciplined, be kind and be charitable  

Shreyo Bhooyath Sakala Jananam  

May mankind prosper!

Here the poet has used 'dAmyata, datta, dayadhvam' phrase in the last stanza, very significantly. 

There is a story and scope for wide ranging interpretation on it.

The story occurs in Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad (and some other places). In Br Ar Upanishad 5.2.2, it runs like this: Long back, there were three kinds of children (sons) for Prajapati, the Creator. In olden days father himself would be the teacher for most of their kids, to start with. After their studies under him all these three groups of children approached Prajapati and asked him for a sort of final sermon-like-teaching before they say good-bye!

Sanskrit & (English) format now: devA Uchuh "bravItu no bhavAn" - iti |
(Gods said to him: "Please teach us")
tEbhyo ha etad akSharam uvAcha 'da' iti |
(He said to them, the single syllable 'da.)
vyjNAsiShTA - iti |
( 'Did you understand?' - (he asked them))
'vyajNAsiShma' iti ha Uchuh |
("(Yes), we have understood" - they told (him))
"dAmyata iti na Attha"- iti |
("(What) you said (to us is) 'Control yourselves (dAmyata')")
"Om" - iti ha uvAcha, vyajNasiShTA iti |
"That is OK", he said, "you have understood (it)!"

Then, the men approached him and asked, "Please teach us, father!" He told them also the same single syllable 'da', and asked them too, "Did you understand what I told you?" They, the men told, "Yep, we have. You told us to 'be charitable' ('datta'), isn't it?" "That is OK", he said, "you have got it!"

Next was the turn of the demons. When they too approached their father and asked him, "Please teach us", he told them also the same single syllable 'da'. "Have you understood it?", he asked them. They said, "Ya, we have. You told us to 'be merciful ('dayadhwam'); isn't it?" "That's OK", he said, "you have grasped it!"

Then, at that instant, a heavenly voice is heard thundering" "da, da, da; dAmyata, datta, dayadhwam !" That is why one should learn this triad, triple axioms: self-control('damam'), charity('dAnam') and mercy('dayA')!

In the above story, even though the author has used the terms as gods ('dEvAh'), men ('manuShyAh') and demons ('asurAh'), they may also be construed as the good men in respectable positions, common men and aggressive men in power with evil potentials - respectively. Every one may have more than one, even triple personalities, depending on several factors such as circumstance, interaction etc. Hence, the basic instruction is to observe all the three "da's" meant for all the disciplines.

Performed by Srimati M S Subbalakshmi specially arranged at the United Nations. This is a benedictory song, composed in Sanskrit for the occasion by the great saint-scholar preceptor Shankaracharya of Kanchi kAmakoTi pITha, India. Appealing for friendship that conquers all hearts, for non-violence, and tolerance to live and let-live, requesting to eschew aggression among peoples of all the nations of the world and to forsake unhealthy competition, aspiring for universal peace, and showering blessings of prosperity for the whole mankind.